What Tube for a Blood culture?
Aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles, always drawn first.
- Additive
- Culture media
- Inversions
- Per bottle instructions
- Order of draw
- #1 of 6
Collection and handling
- Blood cultures are first in the order of draw to keep them sterile.
- With a butterfly set, fill the aerobic bottle first (tubing air goes into it, not the anaerobic bottle).
- Adults: about 8–10 mL per bottle.
Exam tip
Skin antisepsis for cultures is stricter than for a routine draw; follow your facility's antiseptic and drying-time procedure exactly.
Where it falls in the order of draw
- 1. Blood culture bottles (aerobic + anaerobic) (Culture media)
- 2. Light blue (3.2% sodium citrate)
- 3. Gold / red-gray (SST) or red (Clot activator (SST also has gel))
- 4. Green / light green (PST) (Lithium heparin (PST also has gel))
- 5. Lavender (or pink) (K2EDTA)
- 6. Gray (Sodium fluoride / potassium oxalate)
Full explanation in the order of draw guide.
Tube requirements differ between labs and assays. Always follow your own laboratory's collection manual.
Drill tubes and order of draw until they stick
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